Culex (Culex) gelidus Theobald, 1901
New Zealand Status: Not Present
A native of South East Asia, Culex gelidus has invaded northeastern tropical Australia, but is probably a low to moderate biosecurity threat to New Zealand.
Vector and Disease Information
Culex gelidus is probably one of the most important vectors of Japanese encephalitis virus in South East Asia. It is also known to be naturally infected to a low level with Brugia malayi in Sri Lanka and Wuchereria bancrofti in India (Sirivanakarn 1976).
Distribution (based on Biogeographic Regions)
Australasian Biogeographic Region
New Zealand
Not present, intercepted
South Pacific
Not present
Australia
Present, introduced
Northern Territory (Katherine, Batchelor, Darwin, ?Alice Springs), Queensland (Brisbane, Makay, Cairns, ?Daintree) (Whelan et al. 2000).
Indonesia (West Papua) (Lee et al. 1989)
Present, endemic
Oriental Biogeographic Region
Present, endemic
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China (Hainan Island) (Sirivanakarn 1976), India (Assam) (Malhotra & Mahanta 1994), Indonesia (Java, Kalimantan, Lesser Sunda Islands, Moluccas, Sumatra), Malaysia, Myanmar (Sirivanakarn 1976), Nepal (Darsie & Pradhan 1990), Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam (WRBU 2001)
Taxonomic Position
Culex gelidus is placed in Group sitiens, and subgroup gelidus of the subgenus Culex.
Diagnosis
A diagnosis is the minimum set of characters and states that will separate this taxon from all others in this set of taxa.
| Diagnostic characters | State |
| Scale patterns on the scutum | without lines, anterior 70% forming a pale patch |
Characteristic Features
Small to medium-sized mosquito, most clearly marked with white scales on the vertex of the head and the front 70% of the scutum (Sirivanakarn 1976).
